oters, I am sure, are not now in harmony with the
Democratic party,--nor have they ever been so,--but it is true, at the
same time, that thousands of those who for many years acted with the
Republican party, and voted for its candidates, have become alienated,
thus making Republican success at any election in the State close and
doubtful, and that, too, regardless of the merits of opposing candidates
or the platform declarations of opposing parties.

For this remarkable change there must be a good and sufficient reason.
The State in its early history was sparsely populated, and stood very
much in need of railroads for the development of its resources. In
those days, railroads were very popular, and the people were in a mood
to offer liberal inducements to those who would raise the means to
furnish them with the necessary transportation facilities.

For the same reason the Federal Government made valuable concessions in
the interest of railroad construction in the Western States. Since the
railroads, thus aided, were in a large measure the creatures of the
State and Nation they thereby acquired an interest in the administration
of the National and State Governments,--especially those of the
State,--that they otherwise would not have had.

The construction of the roads went on at such a rapid rate that they
soon acquired such a power and influence in the administration of the
State Government that the people looked upon it as being dangerous to
their liberties. In fact it was claimed,--a claim, no doubt, largely
supported by the facts,--that the State Government was actually
dominated by railroad influence. No one, it was said, could be elected
or appointed to an important office who was not acceptable to the
railroad interests. This state of affairs produced a revulsion among the
common people; thousands of whom decided that they would vote against
the Republican party, which was then,--as it had been for many
years,--in control of the State Government because of its having
allowed such a state of affairs to be brought about.

Edward Rosewater, editor and proprietor of the Omaha _Bee_, the most
influential Republican paper in the State, took sides against the
railroad interests. The result was that Nebraska, for the first time,
elected a Democratic governor.

But many of the Republicans who acted with the Democrats on that
occasion could not see their way clear to remain in that party, though
some of them were not w